The Inevitable Roster Post Now that Camby Is Resigned

by bfan on Apr 19, 2010 6:14 PM PDT

Don't get me wrong here. I'm all about what this team is doing in the here and now. But the Camby extension absolutely begs the question of what the team will look like next year. Now that we have answered a big question mark in our front court, what is left to be done? As it's currently composed, the team is likely to look like this:

Oden/Camby/Pryz/Pendy
Aldridge/(Camby)/Cunningham
Batum/Webster/(Rudy)
Roy/Rudy
Miller/Bayless

Are you comfortable with that bench going forward? Is Bayless a PG? Do we need better backup PG play in the future? Can Rudy get his act together, or will he continue to pout? Is Webster okay as a long-term backup? The biggest question marks remaining are clearly at the 1, 2, and 3 as far as the bench is concerned. I look around the league and wish we could get a guy like Jamal Crawford who could sub in and just tear it up--someone we could depend on for scoring night in and night out.

We've got some trade pieces, and we'll have the mid-level exception (but no guarantee the team will use it). As I look around the league, here are a few players who intrigue me, and who also seem attainable:

-Ray Allen: Last year of his contract, and Boston seems likely to blow it up. Another veteran presence, and has played well for Nate before.
-JJ Barea: Dallas can match an offer, but will they? He's small, but he displays some of the moxie I sometimes think this team lacks.
-Raja Bell: Defensive stopper off the bench. Enough offense left? Could be a solid glue guy.
-CJ Watson: Not sure about his contract situation, but GS has too many guards and this guy could be expendable for them. Could he be that Jamal Crawford type player for us? Seems to play several positions.
-Kyle Lowry: Could be a perfect fit as a backup, but Houston will likely match any reasonable offer, and I don't know that we want to make an unreasonable offer.
-Earl Watson: Killed the Blazers for years. Probably not who we want, but could provide solid play at the backup PG.
-Rasual Butler: Another guy who kills us when we play. Could be a solid pickup if we trade Rudy/Bayless/Webster for a player.
-Steve Blake: I wouldn't be surprised in the least.
-Mike Conley: Still an option to reunite him with Greg, and still a viable future starter IMO.
-Darren Collison: Best case scenario IMO, but not sure how to pry him frim NO. They need immediate salary relief, and other teams are in a much better position to provide it than we.
-Sergio Rodriguez: Just kidding.
-Shaun Livingston: Hmmm. Intriguing. Gave him a pretty serious look awhile back. Can play several positions, but possible great as a backup PG. Wouldn't exactly ease the team's injury concerns.
-Randy Foye: Washington could cut him loose to increase cap space.
-JJ Redick: Could be had for the full mid-level.

Who looks like a good fit? How would you get him? Who did I miss? Going forward, who do you think the Blazers need to add to complete the puzzle?

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I'm thinking...

that we end up trading Przy and Rudy for our backup PG. Przy is an expiring contract and Rudy great talent. Bayless slides into the role of Roy’s backup. WHO that backup PG would be is another question entirely, but they would need to be of high enough calibur/potential that they’re ready to take over starting PG duties as Miller declines.

by zaruga on Apr 19, 2010 6:34 PM PDT reply actions

my brain won't work past this tuesday.

contact me in june for input.

dinasour type of guys choir boys

by mittsabishy on Apr 19, 2010 6:44 PM PDT reply actions

Collison would be perfect

I like Barea, but not enough of a 3 point shot.

I think we pass on Blake, I was never much of a fan.

We definitely will package something like Martell/Rudy with Pryz for another good backup 3 or a backup PG.

I think we replace Dre after next year in a blockbuster trade, but not as soon as next year.

Elitism - It's lonely at the top. But it's comforting to look down upon everyone at the bottom.

by thankyouforblaze on Apr 19, 2010 7:04 PM PDT reply actions

I think it depends on who we draft

And whether or not KP’s at the helm for our off-season moves. Just an opinion. If we could trade for Collison and draft Brian Zoubek as projects to replace Miller and Camby/Pryz, I would be very happy.

by HailOden! on Apr 19, 2010 7:12 PM PDT reply actions

I said Ray Allen the other day

If for some reason RA doesn’t get a better offer than the MLE from another team, then I could see Portland swoop in and steal a veteran 2 who could be a big-game shooter—like a smaller version of Robert Horry

If Allen was added, then it would signal that Rudy was on his way out…but to deal #5 for fair value his 1+mil contract would have to combined with someone like Webster or Przy, and who knows if Portland is really prepared to deal either one of those guys? The obvious target for the Rudy deal would be to get a backup PG, someone younger than Andre but who wouldn’t mind playing 15-18 mpg behind Miller? but that’s a tough target to hit, because anyone who’s any good should be unhappy with that role, and anyone who would be content with those minutes would probably be less productive than Bayless, anyway

Ideally the Blazers could use another veteran perimeter defender, so Raja Bell makes some sense—if he’s healthy. RB’s like Bowen, the kind of guy you hate to play against, but when he’s on your team he’s chippy and scrappy. I also like Lowry but he’s not a good enough 3-pt shooter and he’s too much like Miller/Bayless, besides Houston will probably match the offer. Maybe Rasual Butler, but I don’t want anyone taking PT away from Frenchy

I think a trade makes more sense than a FA signing, but it’s harder to predict who might be available and (besides) I still want to reserve judgment on whether Portland should deal Rudy, Martell and Jerryd until after the post seosn is over. As we saw last night with Rex and Marty, these guys can really raise their stock quickly with a strong playoff performance—and I tend to put more weight on what they’re doing right now than their regular season stats. Why? Because for Portland to get where we want them to be (NBA champs) they’re gonna need dependable role players who can come up big during the post season, and those characteristics will start to be revealed (or not) when the pressure to execute is the greatest

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Apr 19, 2010 7:54 PM PDT reply actions

after

thinking about it, your comments about Allen the other day, make sense from a 2 spot perspective. I was solely thinking about it from as a PG move, but this would make much more sense.

Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. -the shawshank redemption.

by pdxborn on Apr 19, 2010 10:51 PM PDT up reply actions

Some interesting combinations

If Allen was acquired, he could pay alongside Miller, or Roy

If Allen and Roy were together in the backcourt, who would guard quick opposing PGs? Batum, perhaps. Brandon would be the primary ballhandler

Ray is a smart veteran who can play in a team defense, similar to Andre. He’s familiar with Nate’s system from his days in Seattle, and he starred in Boston where he played some superior team defense for Thibodeaux

So, even RA doesn’t answer the question re: Blazer’s PGOTF, he could become a key member of another final’s team as early as next year

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Apr 19, 2010 11:33 PM PDT up reply actions

Your comment about "dependable role players"

is fairly significant, as we’ve had more than our share of too many “starters”, going back to Bob Whitsett days. For the next season at least, we’re locked in for starters if we assume Miller, Roy, Batum, Aldridge are starters, and most likely Camby over Oden to start the season.

For this reason, I think Martell is a keeper, and both Rudy and Bayless are eminently tradable. While he could be more consistent, Webster brings Kersey-like hustle almost every night, is reasonably cheap, a better than average wing defender, and is a team guy. He seems to acknowledge that he will get the minutes he earns, no more, no less, and plays well both with and behind Batum.

I also think we stick with Pendy and Cunningham for at least the next season.

For me, the big mysteries revolve around our stashed foreign players, and figuring out the backcourt bench. I have a feeling Patty Mills is this year’s Taurean Green. I think Rudy will be in someone else’s training camp come fall. Bayless may earn his spot in the playoffs.

There are several teams with two “starter” quality point guards, and I won’t be surprised to see a run made at one of them.

by superfly05 on Apr 20, 2010 11:35 AM PDT up reply actions

Package Rudy / Bayless

I’m sure I’ll get TONS of heat for this but once this season’s over, I say we package Rudy / Bayless to get a solid backup 2 guard. Throw out whatever names you want but we bring Steve Blake back at a minimal contract and keep him here for life as the backup PG and go after a TRUE Backup 2. Once that’s set, we use our rookie picks to go after a backup PF / future PG.

Camby/Oden/Pryz/Pendy
Aldridge/(Camby)/Cunningham
Batum/Webster
Roy/???
Miller/Blake

Greg Oden = Willis Reed? BELIEVE. Sec310

by MoreJordan on Apr 19, 2010 8:14 PM PDT reply actions

Who could you get that would play better than Bayless did in Game 1?

Blake is not coming back. Bayless is better anyway. Check the stats.

by chemistrymajor on Apr 19, 2010 8:58 PM PDT up reply actions

Bayless works against Phoenix, but

is surely a detriment against other teams. He really was not playing well the last couple of months, until the Suns series came up. If this series were against the Jazz or nuggets, we would be calling for his head.

The big offseason move is to find the PGOTF, someone to mentor under Andre and be ready to move in the starter role in 2 years. Bayless ain’t going to be that player.

by blaze jose' on Apr 20, 2010 12:02 PM PDT up reply actions

No Hinrich? What happened to Kirk, our savior?

by raoulduke on Apr 19, 2010 9:21 PM PDT reply actions

We can't trade Blake and Outlaw for him anymore.

wow isn’t that ironic. Everyone around here always thought Blake and Trout weren’t enough to get Hinrich, and they were right…and they we turn around and get Camby for Blake and Outlaw.

"What people need to know is that those pictures were taken a year and a half ago, and I've grown since then." - Greg Oden

by dario argento on Apr 19, 2010 9:27 PM PDT up reply actions